


Groundwork

by In_Dee



Series: Taggert 'Verse [1]
Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:29:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23945476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/In_Dee/pseuds/In_Dee
Summary: A rescue mission in enemy territory…
Series: Taggert 'Verse [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1808557
Comments: 10
Kudos: 37





	Groundwork

**Author's Note:**

> Note 1: This is the start to a series I have been working on for a while (and even though that series is not quite finished yet, I’ve got enough pieces ready so I decided to start posting).  
> It starts with whump!Callen in this particular piece and progresses into a M/M relationship over the next pieces. The OC I’m bringing in will be introduced here, though this piece doesn’t focus on any relationship other than some hints and leaving an opening in the last scene - so even if slash isn’t your piece of cake, this story shouldn’t trip you up.
> 
> Note 2: as always: creative license on the medic stuff
> 
> Note 3: I hope all of you are safe and taking care of yourself and your loved ones.

Even though the captive wore a hood and was on his knees, hunched over himself in a stress position, Sam knew his partner’s body - and his scars - well enough to be sure that it was Callen. He was barefoot, his jeans torn in several places, dirty and stained. His upper body was bare, sporting raised welts, bruises and some cuts but no grievous wounds as far as he could see, which was a relief. He motioned to the man on his right to circle around his partner while he moved behind him. They didn’t have all that much time and most importantly, they needed to keep this extraction as quiet as possible for as long as possible.

The guard in the corner of the room had been taken down by the Captain of the SEAL team in a quick but violent scuffle once they breached. Callen was none the wiser, the headphones and the hood preventing him from knowing what was going on around him. Sam grimaced. He knew that this would be a sore point with his partner, knew that Callen hated anything to do with losing control - over his surroundings and most importantly over himself. He was going to be hard to deal with once they got him out of here.

When Sam stepped closer, he saw Callen tense and he knew his partner had sensed his approach despite the headphones that were no doubt blasting noise at him as well as the hood that took away his sight. Even incapacitated like that, Callen’s finely honed senses were alerting him of someone drawing closer.

Kneeling behind him, Sam put a firm hand on Callen’s shoulder, raising his upper body from where it was pressed against his thighs. The tension he felt in Callen’s body alerted him of an impending move. Sam had no idea what his partner planned to archive, trussed up like this and most certainly having lost feeling in his legs and arms, but he couldn’t take the chance. Making brief eye contact with the man in front of Callen, he swiftly drew the smaller man’s body against his own, his right hand reaching up to press a firmly against where G’s mouth would be under the hood. He kept his hold gentle and yet firm and he could tell that his partner very much noted this and it either confused or relaxed him as his initial movement of starting to struggle was aborted and he held himself still. The SEAL in front of Callen didn’t hesitate and took the headphones off. Just as expected, white, static noise blared from the speakers.

“It’s alright, G,” Sam murmured softly to the hooded man, “be quiet alright?”

Callen relaxed fully into his hold upon recognizing Sam and gave a small nod before slowly drawing his head away. Sam let him move and while he started to look for the knot that tied the hood in place. The brief moment of relaxation over, Callen now held himself rigidly while he waited but he didn’t attempt to move completely away from Sam’s hold.

The other SEAL stepped away upon a nod from Sam. The men on the extraction team had been briefed very thoroughly on what to expect from Callen - namely that he would fight dirty if pushed into a corner. It had been determined that it would be best for Sam to handle his partner. While the soldier stepped away, Sam knew he would still keep a sharp eye on Callen, as this was the team’s medic and he would be cataloguing injuries even from a few steps away so that he could treat them later on.

“Light’s dim, but take it slow,” Sam murmured, knowing from experience how harsh even the slightest ray of light could be after prolonged darkness of being blindfolded. He kept half his attention on the chatter coming over the comm.-link, keeping the team apprised of what was going on around them outside of the room. They wouldn’t have much longer. After taking off the hood, Callen shook his head like a dog would shake water from its coat. He nearly dislodged Sam’s hold on him and tried scooting away. Sam stabilized his partner and put a few inches of distance between them, knowing Callen would want space to settle himself. Turning to look over his shoulder, Callen glanced pointedly towards his hands that were bound behind his back. The fingers of his right hand looked to be broken. His left eye was swollen shut and there was blood on the side of his face; a head wound that had bleed profoundly but had clotted up.

Withdrawing a kabar knife from his vest, Sam carefully sliced the ties that bound his partner’s wrists. He noticed the slight flinch that could be equally attributed to the presence of the knife itself or the way Callen’s arms flopped down after the ties that bound them were separated. Considering how long his arms had probably been tied, Sam didn’t doubt that his partner would have lost feeling in them.

“Can you get up?” he asked evenly. They were prepared for either scenario - Callen being able to walk out on his own or him being incapacitated too much to move under his own steam.

There was a split second of pause before G nodded slowly. “’m good.”

Sam doubted that, but he didn’t want to get into an argument right now. “Alright, let’s get you up and moving. We don’t have much longer before our window of opportunity closes,” Sam told his partner. He put a hand under Callen’s arm and helped him get up, tightening his hold when G swayed. He probably would have tumbled back down if not for Sam’s hold on him. Eyeing him critically, Sam wondered if G would really be able to move by himself. He pulled his partner’s arm over his shoulder to stabilize him and take part of his weight. Callen made to draw away, but Sam held firm, “don’t even think about it or you will not be walking at all,” he threatened quietly before he turned Callen around and moved him towards the door of the cell.

The fact that Callen didn’t startle at the presence of the two SEALs who stood guard at the entrance door was a testament to how alert G was of his surroundings. Despite his less than stellar state, he had already taken in the room and knew who was positioned where. Sam made a mental note of approval that Callen was doing mostly alright despite the wounds he was sporting. They would take care of those once they were safely away.

Callen swayed in Sam’s hold when they moved, but resolutely pushed on. It was what Sam had expected - Callen could hold on and the experienced agent would try to aid as much as he could in this extraction.

The few steps over to the cell’s door seemed to help as Callen’s movements steadied, his legs obviously regaining some feeling. “Bravo One. Objective acquired, heading back now,” Captain Kendrick who stood to the right side of the door muttered into his comm.-link once Sam and Callen joined the two men at the door.

“Weapon?” Callen murmured to Sam, his voice gravelly from disuse.

Sam shook his head and started moving them as soon as the men opened the door, drawing his partner outside. They had enough backup. There was no need for G to have a weapon when he probably couldn’t hold it steady - then again, Callen had mastered worse odds.

He listened to the quiet statements of the various team-members of the SEAL team engaged in this mission. They worked like a well-oiled machine while still accommodating for the presence of three outsiders. Sam knew that being a former SEAL himself gave him enough credit with these men, but Kensi and Deeks were unknown forces to them. It was probably a sore spot with these men, but the L.A. team hadn’t been met with hostility when they had muscled their way into the retrieval mission. Sam would bet that the SEAL team had contingency plans in place in case they found that the L.A. team wasn’t cut out for this, but they had been willing to bear with them for the moment.

Sneaking through the corridor, Sam felt his partner tremble beside him, his gait uneven. He was favoring his left foot and with Sam holding him up on his right side, his support was at the opposite of where he obviously needed it.

Approaching the first corner since leaving the prison cell in the seemingly endless underground tunnels, two soldiers melted out of the shadows to their left, taking up position around Sam and Callen. The merge was done in total silence, a team well aware of each other and their quirks and preferences.

Only moments later, Sam stopped when the leader drew to a halt and held up a closed fist. He pushed Callen against the tunnel wall, shielding his partner’s body with his own, his weapon up and ready. The remaining SEAL behind him moved to the other side of the tunnel, equally poised for a fight. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that. They were pretty outnumbered and the tight confines of the tunnels didn’t leave much space for fights.

As soon as the leader relaxed, Sam slipped out from under Callen’s right shoulder, keeping his partner propped up while moving to his other side and levering G’s left arm over his shoulder, hoping to provide better support on Callen’s left side now.

“What? Sore and tired already? Thought you had more stamina,” G sniped, wincing when Sam drew him away from the wall to follow the Captain, while the other SEALs took up their positions around them once more.

“They must have fed you well. You seem to have gained some pounds,” Sam fired back, noting that the change of support helped and Callen hobbled on more easily.

“Regular five star resort. The entertainment sucked though,” Callen murmured, lowering his head.

Sam briefly tightened his hold on his partner’s frame, offering silent support when he knew Callen would balk at any form of verbal comfort. The tensing of his partner’s muscles told him not to pamper him, so Sam decided to offer the next best form of comfort between them: banter. “What? You didn’t like the music they were playing? Looked like they also had some kind of sports program going on.”

The men around them were professionals, but Sam could still feel the gaze burning a hole in his back and he could also anticipate the arched eyebrows in front of him. Then again, this was a SEAL team. They had seen a lot of combat and the humor in these teams often was not too dissimilar to the way Callen and he were currently bantering.

They approached the next fork in the corridor and Sam shushed his partner who opened his mouth to reply when the command centre advised that they had two bogeys coming at them from southbound. Sam hoped they would be out of these tunnels soon. He propped his partner up against the wall, the SEAL behind them a silent guard while the three men in front took up positions to take out the two enemy guards coming their way.

Keeping his partner behind him, Sam took up a defensive position in front of the other man, again his gun at the ready. He watched as the enemy guards rounded the corner. The first man was propelled forward by a firm pull of the Captain to be dealt with by one of the others behind him while the Captain quickly took care of the second guard. Both men were down and out only moments later, zip ties binding them so they couldn’t make any more trouble. The three SEALs straightened as one, shifting back into their previous positions. Sam didn’t need the fourth team member’s pat on his shoulder to know they would proceed momentarily. He had already drawn G forward by then, once more supporting his friend’s weight. Callen was tiring, faint lines on his face the only testament to the pain he was most certainly in. Sam shot him a speculative gaze, but Callen shook his head. “I’m good,” he muttered. Sam scoffed. There it was again: his partner’s standard line. There was a faint smirk on Callen’s lips though. He might not be fine, but he could keep going.

Xxxxxxx

The route they took through the tunnels seemed endless to him. Strength was slowly deserting him, leaving him exhausted and hurting. The adrenaline that still coursed through him kept him mobile, but he wasn’t sure how much longer that would be enough. He knew that Sam was taking more and more of his weight, dragging him around through these endless freaking tunnels with yellowish flickering light that was reflected from the torches that hung on the walls. Internally, Callen cursed in whatever language came to his mind - and he was fluid in a lot of languages. He bit his lips hard when he miscalculated a step and his left foot came down hard on the packed earth. He could _feel_ the bones shifting inside and Callen swallowed both the sound of pain and the nausea that shift of bones generated.

His coordination was off with only one functional eye, the other swollen shut, impairing his three dimensional vision. He let his head hang down, forcing his limited sight to focus on the ground in front of him and relaying on Sam for directions and situational awareness. In his current state he wasn’t sure if he would be of any help if they were attacked. It was probably good that no one had given him a weapon. He couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t shoot his own foot off or kill one of their own in a spectacular case of friendly fire. If the situation was dire enough, maybe he would force the issue of a weapon to try and lend support, but as long as the men around him seemed to have everything under control, he guessed he better just hang on and let them do all the work. He was glad for Sam’s presence, doubted he would have fared as well with a nameless stranger at his side. He trusted his partner implicitly and his current state didn’t leave room for doubts. He had no chance of getting himself out on his own - hell he would probably get lost in the maze of tunnels - but it wasn’t in his nature to just trust and go with the flow unless he knew that his trust was well placed. Sam had earned his trust over years and years of a strong partnership.

Callen’s contemplation was interrupted when he stumbled once more, his foot striking the side of the tunnel wall. He bit back another sound of pain but sagged briefly in Sam’s hold, bright stars competing with a wall of darkness that danced at the edges of his vision. He willed unconsciousness away, forcing himself to straighten once more and keep going. His whole life he had learned to compartmentalize… rejection, loneliness, pain. All of it could be packed away and hidden in the dark recesses of his consciousness so he wouldn’t have to acknowledge it. As long as his heart was beating, he could go on.

He wanted to ask how much longer, but he swallowed the question, not needing Sam to be any more concerned then he already was and knowing that getting out of these tunnels would only be the first step of getting away.

Callen’s head came up partway when the air around them finally changed, not as stale anymore, the first hint of fresh air he had in days. It revived him somewhat and he tried straightening, mindful of his injuries. Sam didn’t comment but instead wordlessly adjusted his hold. His senses sharpened briefly, tuning in to the muttered words of the man in front.

“Bravo One heading outside. Overwatch clear?”

Callen didn’t need to see the tightening of the men’s postures to understand that ‘no, their way was not clear’. He could feel it in the quickly mounting tension around him. Well fuck. He shuffled with Sam towards the wall, leaning against it once more while the men around them drew together for a quick discussion. “Weapon?” he asked Sam once more, only to see his friend shake his head yet again. Alright, then the situation wasn’t completely bleak yet, still… Callen shrugged out of Sam’s hold. “Give me a weapon. I’ll just hang around here and cover the rear. You go join them,” he nodded towards the soldiers. By covering the rear, he at least couldn’t shoot any friendlies as there were no more of those in that particular direction.

Sam watched him for a moment before he relented and handed Callen a gun. His palm curled around the familiar weight of the weapon, suffusing him with relief upon having a weapon to protect himself with. At the same time, his fingers protested the action and Callen absently glanced at the crooked - broken - fingers of his right hand, wanting to swear again but biting back the words. He moved the gun to his left hand. He wasn’t as good a marksman firing left-handed, but it would have to do. Then again… added to his impaired vision and his general state… He shook his head, focusing on the task at hand: remaining conscious, keeping an eye out and not shooting the friendlies. Piece of cake.

At the entrance of the tunnel system, the men took up position while he turned away to guard their rear.

Xxxxxxx

Sam watched his partner from the corner of his eyes. He had seen him exchange the weapon to his left hand and was wondering on whether or not he should return to his place at Callen’s side. Then again, if G said he could do it, Sam trusted him to do just that. Plus, they could use Sam’s presence at the entrance.

“Bravo One in position,” Kendrick muttered into the comm.-link and Sam drew the pin of the flash-bang before throwing it accurately to where five guards mingled outside, smoking. Two more flash-bangs were thrown by the other team members either side of Sam, to cover more ground and create more chaos.

As soon as the flash-bangs landed, hell broke loose. After the first few moments of chaos, the enemy soldiers understood what was happening and semi-automatic fire was directed their way. Enemy soldiers fell under the combined fire of the men around Sam and the overwatch positions stationed on the hills around.

“Bravo One. Two unfriendlies sneaking up on your left flank. No line of sight.” Sam smiled upon hearing his team-member’s voice. Kensi was positioned on the east rise, with Deeks at her side as a spotter. It had had been a chance finding a little while back, but during a sniper course that Hetty had made Kensi and Deeks attend together, it had been determined that Deeks had a keen eye and good instincts as a spotter. While most of their work in L.A. was done in close quarters, it had still been decided to train their Detective as a spotter for Kensi. It paid off now.

“Overwatch Three. How far from the entrance?” the Captain asked.

“Twenty yards, on your ten,” came the prompt reply from Deeks.

“Roger that, we’ll draw them out for you,” Kendrick decided, pointing at his second in command, “flash-bang on my count.” On the count of three, the grenade was thrown, the aim accurate and disrupting the ground in front of the two enemy soldiers. One of the men flew through the air while the other shielded his body from the explosion only to be taken out by a single shot that did not come from inside the tunnels.

“Clear,” Kensi’s voice reported calmly. There was a pause as slowly silence fell outside. Everyone waited with baited breath before the overwatch positions chimed in one by one, giving the all clear. Command chimed in last, reporting that satellite telemetry didn’t show any movement in the immediate area.

Sam turned to where he had stashed his partner, seeing him lean heavily against the tunnel wall, his eyes on the tunnels behind them, guarding their rear as promised.

Moving to gather Callen up, he felt G trembling in his hold. His partner was holding on, but he was on the last vestiges of his strength. He gently took the weapon out of Callen’s left hand and drew his arm back around his shoulders.

“Tell me you have wheels out there,” G murmured, the tone of voice somewhat imploring.

Sam hefted him up and drew him away from the tunnel wall, “a short hike away. Nothing you can’t handle.” Privately, Sam wasn’t so sure that his partner could really handle the hike to where they had left their transport, but for once he got the feeling that Callen needed the reassurance.

“Mh-mmm,” Callen mumbled, his head yet again lowering, his focus on the ground in front of them. Sam guided him out of the tunnel’s entrance, following after the two soldiers in front, the other two falling in behind them once more. He moved them around obstacles and fallen men. A burning wreck of a vehicle gave off heat when they moved around it.

They were just past the immediate area of burning wreckages and makeshift tents when a quiet pop came from the hillside on the east, making them duck behind the nearest cover before one of the overwatch positions murmured the “all clear”.

Still, it wouldn’t do to drag their feet. They didn’t know if reinforcements were in the area or if there were more men in the tunnels. It would be better to put some distance between them. “Overwatch Two and Three pack up and move to the meeting point. Overwatch One, continue observation for five more, then follow,” Kendrick ordered.

Overwatch One had the shortest distance to cover to the meeting point and that sniper team was made up out of two quick and agile men who would have no trouble catching up with them. It was also the position best equipped to watch the tunnel entrance.

“Eagle One, Bravo team out and clear,” the Captain raised the mission command while leading them further away from the site of attack.

“Roger that Bravo team. Continue as planned. Be advised that a convoy is moving towards the grounds. Current ETA: 10 minutes.” The voice of the command personnel held no urgency, so for the moment they were alright. They would be close to their transport in ten minutes. Still, Sam noticed the men around them picking up their pace. He shifted Callen’s weight slightly and also lengthened his stride, ignoring his partner’s confused glance while he struggled to keep up.

Xxxxxxx

He was basically dead on his feet when they finally stopped. Callen didn’t even look up, instead hung onto Sam, trying to catch his breath and marshal the last of his energy to make sure he didn’t lose consciousness.

His head only came up when an engine started close to them. Glancing around to orient himself, he saw the team of soldiers readying the assault vehicle they uncovered from under a tarp. His thought process was muddled, but his subconscious still put two and two together and came up with four: the time for walking - or hobbling, being dragged in his case - was over. Relief washed through him.

Sam guided him over to the vehicle and hoisted him inside, making him sit down. Callen gratefully sank onto the hard bench, his body starting to shake from exhaustion. Pain crowded back to the forefront of his mind but he pushed it away.

There was a flurry of activity around him and he barely opened his eye when Sam murmured something about a blanket. Only a moment later, Sam gently drew him forward and a blanket was draped around his shoulders. His shaking became even more pronounced and he sluggishly reached up to draw the edges closer to his body. His right hand protested and he hissed when his fingers refused to take hold of the fabric, instead sending spikes of pain up and down his nerves.

The engine was idling and he minutely wondered what they were waiting for when several more people appeared from out of the shadows and jumped into the vehicle. Once inside, the doors were closed and they drove off.

He closed his eye only to startle when he sensed someone approaching. Sam steadied him and Callen squinted at the soldier squatting down in front of him. The man took off his hard cap and goggles, revealing strong features, intense eyes and a mop of dark hair that was most certainly pushing the limits of army length regulations.

“Agent Callen, I’m Lieutenant Luc Taggert, the team’s medic.”

Callen shot his partner a glare when Sam started chuckling. Obviously Callen hadn’t quite been able to curb the startle and ‘get-away’ shift upon the man’s introduction. “I’m good. Nothing to take care of,” he told the man firmly - as firmly as his voice allowed anyway.

The man had the gall to smirk right back at him, “I guess that’s debatable considering the bruising and blood all over you… and the way the fingers of your right hand look.”

He refrained from hiding his right hand in the fold of the blanket slung around him, knowing it would be a defensive and telling move. Instead Callen’s eye narrowed and he shored himself up to a verbal sparring match, trying to find the reserves and wit necessary for it, “you should see the other guy.”

Taggert actually laughed, “I did. I’m positive you came out worse.”

“Considering most of them are dead and I’m not, I very much doubt that,” Callen shook his head, regretting the action when his vision refused to stay still for several moments afterwards.

The medic grinned once more and shook his head while dragging a kit close to him over the floor of the vehicle and opening it. Callen fought very hard not to shrink back.

“G,” Sam warned to his right.

Taggert held up his hand at Sam’s interruption, his focus back on Callen. “Look, man, there’s not all that much I can do out here anyway. Let me make sure you’re not about to keel over, then I’ll leave you alone.”

The man held his gaze when Callen searched for dishonesty, finding none. Well, the statement about not being able to do much here was most certainly a lie, as the bag the man dragged over was an advanced combat medic’s field kit, but still, Callen felt he could trust the man.

With a slow nod, he relented. He slowly felt himself relax when the man kept his ministration clinical yet careful. It was well known among the people who knew him that anything to do with medical treatment didn’t sit well with him, but contrary to his usual behavior, he didn’t hold back too much when asked questions this time.

Xxxxxxx

Sam watched over his partner when he submitted to the medic’s attentions after the first few moments of refusal. He traded glances with both Kensi and Deeks who were seated further down. He doubted that G had noticed the junior agents’ presence and that told him a lot about G’s current state.

While he had been conscious and mostly alert inside of his prison cell, his coordination and awareness had deteriorated over the duration of the extraction. He had hung onto Sam in the end, barely conscious. He didn’t doubt that it was only his partner’s stubborn streak that kept him from succumbing to the lure of unconsciousness; that and his paranoia when surrounded by people he didn’t know.

Callen seemed to be too exhausted to even give Sam another glare when he pointed out his previous observations to the medic, directing his attention to Callen’s left leg or foot.

The pained yell when the medic carefully checked over that particular foot startled quite a few of the soldiers in the vehicle, not having expected it from the so far stoic former captive.

The medic glanced up at Sam somewhat wide-eyed before shaking his head with an eye roll and muttering about stubborn macho bullshit and lying about pain levels. “Want to try that again with the level of pain?” he asked Sam’s partner who was panting, his eyes squeezed shut.

“Maybe a three,” Callen murmured defiantly, upgrading his rating from the previously proclaimed ‘two’. Sam rolled his eyes while the medic arched an eyebrow.

“Boss-man?” Taggert asked, glancing lazily at the team-leader over his shoulder. “Considering you usually give similar answers: when you pronounce a rating of ‘three’ on the pain scale… what would that be for any normal person?”

Probably knowing better than to implicate himself, the Captain wisely kept silent - as did Callen.

Sam smirked when the medic glanced back at him in question. “I’d suggest an eight,” he answered the unvoiced question.

“Eight point five,” Deeks piped up.

Callen’s head snapped up when he heard the Detective’s voice close him. Yeah, his partner hadn’t been aware of the junior team members’ presence. “Considering how bad his situational awareness is right now, I’m inclined to agree with Deeks,” Sam conceded the point.

Taggert nodded to himself, then looked back up. “Without x-ray I can’t be certain of the exact number, but there are multiple fractures I can feel. Added to that there are welts under the sole of your foot,” he paused momentarily before trying to catch Callen’s eye, “caning?”

Callen just grunted, his eyes still shut, though not squeezed closed anymore.

“Stubborn idiot. You should have said,” Sam groused, hating his partner for trying to bear that kind of pain when there would have been other options.

“Just the left foot or both?” Taggert asked, clearly not wanting to reach for the other foot for the moment, probably anticipating an adverse reaction.

Callen slowly shook his head, “both, but no fractures in the other I think,” he ground out, slowly opening his good eye and meeting the medic’s gaze squarely.

Taggert nodded after a moment and then turned to his bag. “Alright, I’ll see about stabilizing and immobilizing your foot for the moment,” he said evenly while rummaging through the medical supplies he had at his disposal. “Considering the pain level of two or three respectively, are painkillers an option?” he asked without looking up, busying himself with his kit.

Sam definitely had to give the medic points for handling his stubborn partner. He had seen many a medic despair with Callen as a patient. G didn’t do ‘sick’ very well and fought tooth and nail against most things. By wording the question about painkillers the way he had, Taggert left the choice to his partner while still providing a strong hint.

Taggert didn’t wait for Callen to answer but instead produced a splint from his bag and some bandages. Sam gave him another point for backing off without forcing the issue. The suggestion was out there and while he doubted that Callen would go for it, he felt his partner relax against his side.

Callen winced when his left foot was carefully wrapped up. Once done, Taggert slowly put the foot down again before kneeling up. “Alright, mate. I’ll be square with you. You’re dehydrated and in need of fluids. I would suggest an IV-line to administer fluids and pain medication both, but we can also go without. Your state is not life threatening so it’s your decision. I won’t force this.”

Xxxxxxx

The dull throb the soles of his feet had settled into ‘before’ had escalated into a fiery burning in his left since the medic had found the fractures. Callen gave himself credit for not vomiting or passing out. He hadn’t expected that level of escalation or he wouldn’t have let anyone near his left foot.

He fought to control the pain, fought to compartmentalize what was happening. He was swimming in a world of agony right now, even with his foot immobilized and wrapped. On top of the pain radiating through his feet, other injuries clamored for attention as well. His muscles were cramping, a delayed reaction to the stress positions and the trek through and from the caves to their transport. His right hand was similarly splinted as his foot, his fingers swollen and black and blue. His ribs were aching, the bruising all over throbbed as well and his head felt both as if stuffed with cotton and ringing with noise at the same time. He was freezing despite the thermal blanket and the shivering only aggravated the injuries.

Callen had heard Sam’s sigh when he had ignored the medic’s offer of an IV and painkillers but for some reason, the big guy hadn’t pushed the issue.

So Callen sat as still as possible, suffering while trying to ignore the pain. He drank whenever a water canteen was pushed into his left hand. He thought he’d also had a few bites of a protein bar, but he actually couldn’t be sure. Most of what was happening around him went over his head, his brain overloaded by the seemingly insurmountable task of mastering the pain. Waves of nausea were rolling through him - after effects of the adrenaline dump and reaction to the pain and the concussion. He held on for as long as possible but eventually, he blinked his right eye open and blearily started looking for the medic.

“Taggert?” he muttered and Sam straightened sharply next to him, turning to watch him more closely while calling the medic over.

The soldier appeared momentarily and once more knelt in front of Callen. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice controlled but worried.

“’m not doing well with painkillers,” Callen told the other slowly, admitting without admitting why he had called the other man back over.

Taggert relaxed slightly when obviously his patient wasn’t taking a turn for the worse as he had probably feared. “I know. I’ve been briefed on your medical history,” he replied calmly before he turned to where he had stashed his field kit and dragged it over, “packed differently for you.”

Callen watched him through his one functioning eye, following his movements while he unpacked an IV set, a bag of fluids and some vials or other. Once the medic looked up and met his gaze with a questioning eyebrow and a nod towards the assortment of equipment he had laid out, Callen hesitated a moment before eventually giving a nod. He untangled his left arm from within the confines of the blanket.

While searching for a vein, Taggert only briefly glanced up to ask another question, “nausea?”

Deciding not to watch the needle come closer, Callen allowed his eye to fall shut once more while murmuring an affirmative. The medic was efficient and obviously very good in what he did as he found a vein on the first go despite his dehydrated state and the rocking of the vehicle on the uneven terrain. Callen only briefly opened his eye again when Taggert straightened, watching as the man held the bag of fluids up and gave it to someone on Callen left side. He allowed himself to sink back into his stupor, waiting for the medication to take effect. It took only a few moments before the first tentative wave of relief seeped through him. He doubted anything short of morphine could render him pain free, but even taking the edge off felt like a blessing right now. He barely roused enough to agree when Taggert told him to call if he needed him, allowing himself to drowse.

Xxxxxxx

Sam watched over his partner, on the one hand alarmed that Callen had consented to being treated intravenously with fluids and painkillers, on the other hand glad about it. For Callen to admit defeat and accept medical treatment, he would have been in quite a substantial amount of pain.

For now, G was dozing; his body slumped against the seat while he allowed himself to rest. He barely even reacted when Taggert came over to check his vitals. The medic gave Sam a reassuring nod and he sighed in relief.

He didn’t know what it was about this medic that G reacted positively to, but he was glad for it. His partner could use a break.

Not quite two hours into their drive - thirty minutes since Callen had been placed on the IV and painkillers - the mood inside of the transport changed, tension slowly mounting. Their pick-up point had been compromised. Satellite telemetry data showed an accumulation of rebel groups drawing into the area.

Sam watched as the Captain conferred with Taggert before both men waved him over. He turned to where Kensi and Deeks sat and beckoned them closer to exchange places with him. While G was malleable and dozing right now, he didn’t doubt that his partner would rouse the instant Sam moved and he would possibly not take kindly to losing the backup that he trusted most. Being among a group of people who had set out to get him out of captivity was well and good, but Callen didn’t do trust well and he didn’t know these soldiers.

Hopefully the presence of Kensi or Deeks could help keep his inbuilt safety radar from escalating into an alert.

Once Kensi approached, Sam carefully got up. Not unexpectedly, Callen startled out of his stupor, blinking his good eye open and trying to focus on Sam who put a gentle hand on his partner’s shoulder. “Be right back. Kensi’s gonna keep you company for a few minutes,” Sam told him calmly, waiting for the words to sink in while Kensi slipped into the seat Sam had vacated. G looked around blearily, and it seemed to take a few heartbeats before he consciously registered Kensi’s presence next to him. It took another heartbeat or two before he relaxed and allowed his good eye to close once more.

Sam exchanged another worried glance with Kensi before he moved over to where Kendrick and Taggert waited for him. “New pick-up point?” Sam asked when he sat down with the men after a seat was freed for him by one of the snipers.

Kendrick turned to Sam and nodded. A map was spread out between them, “we have to activate another extraction site. Going with the primary location is impossible with the rebels closing in. Bravo site would be a high risk evacuation as it’s still deep within enemy territory and the surrounding terrain holds a lot of ambush points. Second option would be Echo site, far lower risk, but we will not make it under the cover of darkness and a daylight extraction is not sanctioned and definitely not recommended either.”

“Meaning: we either risk getting ambushed at the Bravo site or we add another day in enemy territory before we make the meet at Echo,” Sam surmised, watching the Captain nod.

“According to Luc, Agent Callen’s medical status doesn’t require an urgent extraction so I would favor Echo point. You know your partner best; do you concur with Luc’s assessment?”

Sam glanced over to where Callen sat, hunched in on himself, half leaned against Kensi while her hand rested on his forearm. Probably feeling his gaze, Callen blinked his eye open and searched for Sam, their gazes connecting. Despite the trauma and the pain - Sam knew he would still be feeling a good amount of pain despite the painkillers - he could see the inherent strength in his partner’s gaze. He turned back towards the Captain. “He can handle it,” he said firmly.

Kendrick held his gaze before nodding sharply and reaching for his comms, “Eagle One, requesting activation of Echo site.”

Xxxxxxx

When Sam sank down next to him again, Callen turned his head to get a look at his partner. “What’s wrong?” he asked softly. He might be exhausted and his awareness mediocre at best, but he had still noticed the tension that had risen inside of the vehicle. On top of that, the little discussion of his partner with the medic and the team leader… something was not going according to plan.

“Our extraction site has been compromised. We’ve agreed on a backup site, but we’ll only return to the base tomorrow night using that new extraction site. Daylight extraction is impossible. Sorry, you’ve got to hang on for a little longer,” Sam told him quietly.

He was glad his partner wasn’t sugarcoating things or refusing to tell him the news to shield him. “’s ok,” Callen murmured, “sounds like a fun camping trip.” While he would prefer base accommodations, these things happened sometimes. It couldn’t be helped and actually it wouldn’t change much concerning medical treatment as Callen was planning on skipping the trip to the infirmary anyway.

He couldn’t be sure but he guessed Sam was rolling his eyes at him. Facing forward again, he let his eye fall closed once more and refocused his attention inward, sinking back into himself to escape the pain.

Xxxxxxx

Sam watched over his partner while he dozed. The lines of pain were still easily visible in his features, but G still seemed to be resting somewhat peacefully considering the surroundings.

They would set up shelter soon, to wait out the daylight hours until they could approach the extraction point under the cover of darkness.

He could see the Captain taking quietly to the mission command. Possibly one or two more of the team were patched into that discussion, but most of them weren’t. Instead the rest of the team would trust the Captain and the mission command to make the right decisions to guide them to shelter.

The terrain got even rougher when the transport changed direction, leaving the pitiful excuse of a road that they had followed before. Sam glanced at his partner when he sucked air through his clenched teeth. “G?” he asked quietly, turning more fully towards the injured man.

“Driving’s worse than Kens,” G replied through clenched teeth.

Sam observed his partner closely. Callen sometimes suffered from motion sickness, but right now, Sam doubted it was motion sickness itself but rather his injuries catching up with him. Putting a hand on his partner’s thigh, he glanced over to where the medic sat. Only moments later, Taggert looked over and tilted his head in question. Sam beckoned him over with a simple nod of his head towards Callen.

“Nausea is worsening,” Sam told the medic when he knelt in front of them. The fact that Callen didn’t deny Sam’s words was admittance enough.

The medic nodded and then turned towards his patient. “Callen?”

Callen didn’t open his eyes, merely grunted in acknowledgement.

“Callen, I’ll check you over again. Any other symptoms worsening?”

Sam watched as his partner actually considered the question and didn’t reply right away. “No,” he murmured eventually.

“Alright,” Taggert gave back while he reached for his wrist to check his pulse. “Pulse is ok, if a little on the fast side.” Taggert looked up at Sam, “can you check his blood pressure?”

Sam nodded and took the offered medical equipment. While he wasn’t a medic, he’d had enough medical training in his own SEAL days. Sam just hoped that they weren’t heading for dangerous territory. If Callen was bleeding internally and going into shock, they would probably need to rush the extraction.

From the corner of his eyes, Sam watched as the medic checked the capillary refill time. He sighed in relief when Callen’s blood pressure was within normal parameters. He relayed the information to Taggert who also nodded in relief. “Let me check your eyes,” the medic said as he stretched up.

Callen slowly drew his head away when the medic reached for him. “I wouldn’t, if I were you,” he murmured. Sam watched his partner, saw the way he held still and tried to breathe slowly. He kept his eyes closed, and Sam could guess at what he feared… that if he added a visual stimulus - a vision that probably wouldn’t stay still considering his concussion - he might just lose the battle against the rising nausea.

Taggert reached that conclusion as well, because he backed off and reached for his bag. “Alright, for the moment it doesn’t seem like you’re trying to go into shock from bleeding internally,” he told Callen, while he withdrew a vial of medication and started preparing it. “I’ll give you something against the nausea for now and check you over again once that starts taking effect. We’ll stop soon and then you can rest properly. If you think it might help, we can lay you down on the floor now.”

Callen didn’t reply which both Sam and Taggert took as a decline. When Taggert reached for his partner to inject the medication, Callen tensed briefly at the touch before he slowly relaxed once more.

“That should take hold in just a minute,” Taggert said while he injected the medication into the IV shunt.

Just a little over a minute later, Callen’s breathing eased somewhat and his features relaxed slightly. Both Sam and Taggert nodded in relief. When the medic moved to return to his seat, Callen muttered a quiet “thank you”.

There was definitely something about this medic that had his partner reacting this positively to. First him actively agreeing to medical treatment and now thanking the man for it… Callen wasn’t an ungrateful man, but when it came to anything concerning medical treatment, he definitely had trouble showing his appreciation. Sam smirked slightly to himself and then settled more firmly back into his seat, his eyes still on his partner, but relaxing.

Xxxxxxx

They had stopped a little while ago and made camp. They were sheltered by some steep mountains on one side, making any ambushes from that direction impossible. The other sides were more open, but it was generally a well defendable position. There was also the shelter of a shallow cave, but Callen had refused that option as a place to settle down. He had seen enough of the insides of caves lately, thank you very much.

They hadn’t dared to risk lighting a fire, still too far into enemy territory to value the comfort of warmth higher than the security darkness offered. As the night was mostly over anyway, the temperatures were sure to rise soon enough.

Callen shivered under the thermal blanket. He was curled up on the rough ground, periodically dropping off to sleep for some moments before he startled himself awake again.

The scene around him was changing whenever he opened his one functioning eye… some of the SEAL team patrolling, some curled up and sleeping, some checking over their weapons. Despite not being on top of his game, he knew that this was a tight knit unit that had a lot of combat experience and had worked together for a long time. Sam fit in there as if he were part of the group - one SEAL among others. Kensi and Deeks stood out like sore thumbs - and Callen still wondered how he had missed their presence on the transport at first - but they were both treated with respect.

Taggert had approached him a few times, taking his vitals and doing another - more thorough - check up than he had done earlier during the drive. Callen found he liked the medic; there was a subtle no-nonsense vibe coming from him. He was decisive but still flexible enough to go with the flow. He liked that Taggert deferred to him in what treatment Callen agreed to, allowing him to toughen it out where possible, but keeping other options available. Usually when dealing with medics it was either some kind of forced treatment or signing out against medical advice. It often felt as if he were stuck between a rock and a hard place and was poked with a pointy stick from the side, which usually resulted in him digging his heels in.

Despite what his partner often thought, Callen was far from being suicidal and he knew that dishonesty about his physical state could potentially lead to disastrous outcomes… especially in the middle of nowhere with no hospital around the next corner. He felt a lot less stressed with Taggert because he could try it his way first and if he found something beyond his limit, he could go along with the medic’s option later on. Taggert allowed him this wriggle room as long as it was safe to do so and Callen found himself inclined to give the medic the benefit of doubt if he were to insist on something in the future… something he thought might happen sooner rather than later.

He had a lot of experience with being injured and he knew his body well, so he turned his focus inwards as he tried to rest. The painkillers were muting the overall uproar of wounds clamoring for attention. His feet still throbbed, but at least the fractures didn’t cry for attention for the moment. As long as he didn’t try to move his fingers within the splint, they were mostly quiet as well. Most unpleasant were the bruises on his ribcage and abdomen as well as the overall ache of muscles taxed by stress positions… that, and the fact that he was starting to feel feverish.

Callen nudged Kensi’s foot where it rested within easy reach. She reacted instantly, turning her head towards him and her attention away from her quiet conversation with Deeks. “Anything you need?” she asked quietly, giving him a gentle smile.

He tried returning her smile, shivering again. “Can you get Taggert? Think ‘m running a fever.” He saw the worry appear in Kensi’s eyes, didn’t flinch when she reached for his forehead while behind her Deeks rose and moved to where the medic was lying.

Callen allowed his eye to close, Kensi’s cool fingers a contrast to his skin. Yeah, he was pretty sure he was running a fever, feeling beyond cold but from the contrast of Kensi’s fingers knowing that his skin was overheated.

He heard footsteps approaching before someone crouched down next to him. “Hey Callen, Deeks said you think you’re developing a temperature?” Taggert asked quietly.

“He definitely is,” Kensi offered before Callen could say anything. He didn’t mind though, as it served to save his breath and strength. He got the feeling he would need every little piece of strength he had left.

“Orright,” Taggert muttered, stretching the word. For some reason, it made Callen smile. There were quirks to this man that shone through every now and then that he found he enjoyed. “Again, the question: any other symptoms worsening?”

He knew there was still underlying worry about internal bleedings and him going into shock. As he had internally pondered his state before alerting Kensi, he was already certain in his response. “No, nothing worse. Pain’s mostly alright. Some spikes when I move. Nausea is under control. Not seeing double too much. Breathing ok as far as the ribs allow,” he replied honestly, “check what you need to check, but I don’t think going into shock is the cause for feeling feverish. Infection… probably?”

Taggert gave him a small nod of appreciation for his candid reply. The medic calmly set about to check his vitals and whatever else he needed to check to ensure he didn’t keel over within the next few moments. A few minutes later, he sat back and caught Callen’s gaze. “Alright, I concur with you. Your vitals are stable. But you’re running a low grade fever. The cut on your upper arm is showing signs of an infection. So, those antibiotics we discussed earlier? Not optional any longer.” He looked ready to gear up for a fight about getting his way.

Callen opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by the medic. “No, seriously, Callen. The cut is in the early stages of an infection, but we still have some hours before we can get you out of here and into an infirmary and I definitely don’t want that infection uncontrolled.”

“Taggert,” he muttered, but the medic went on.

“Your body is strained and not up to getting a handle on this on its own.”

He waited until the man fell silent, waiting another moment to see if he shored himself up for another unnecessary argument. When he didn’t, Callen met the other man’s eyes, “you done?” He watched the narrowing of the man’s eyes, “I wasn’t about to disagree.”

“You weren’t?”

He huffed out a laugh, regretting it when his rips protested, but the man’s stumped expression just warranted it. He gave himself a moment for the pain to settle before he replied. “No, I wasn’t. I was about to tell you to go ahead when you decided to argue.”

Taggert watched him for another moment, his brows drawn into a frown. “That was… unexpected,” he muttered, shaking his head before turning towards his med kit.

“Despite what my team might have told you, I’m not stupid,” Callen sighed.

“Never said anything about being stupid,” Deeks interjected from the sidelines.

“Reckless maybe,” Kensi threw her two cents in.

“Or foolish,” Sam stated when he came over, probably having seen Taggert being brought over by Deeks. His partner was the mother of all mother hens sometimes. He sank down next to Callen, “what has he done now?”

Callen left the rest of his team to discuss his fever among each other while he focused on Taggert, who had drawn up some medication, probably the antibiotic in question, “just go ahead,” he told him when Taggert threw him another probing glance.

The medic simply nodded and then injected the antibiotic into the IV bag, “you gonna get stroppy about adding something to bring your fever down or are you in an amendable mood right now?” he asked with a smirk.

“Now you’re pushing your luck,” Callen grinned back, enjoying the way the medic was handling this.

“I could argue my case as I did before.”

Callen fought back the laugh, knowing it wouldn’t do anything for his ribs, “don’t bother. Just go ahead. I know the fever won’t do me any favors.”

Taggert gave an appreciative nod, “good man,” he turned back to his med kit and got what he needed before adding it to the IV as well. “Tell me if anything changes. I can adjust the anti-nausea meds. This antibiotic shouldn’t give you any trouble, but if so, tell me.”

Callen hoped it wouldn’t come to that. “Alright. Thanks, Taggert.”

The man watched him, their gazes holding for several moments and Callen could see that the other knew he meant those words and didn’t just offer them to anyone. “It’s Luc,” he said, obviously deciding to offer something in return. Maybe it wasn’t only Callen who took some kind of enjoyment out of this interaction.

He gave the medic a small smile, “thanks, Luc.”

Xxxxxxx

Sam watched his friend as he lay shivering on the ground. The fever had taken hold and Sam hoped that it wouldn’t worsen too much. At least, Callen had finally dropped off to sleep, his body demanding rest.

“You worried about him?” Taggert asked when he squatted down next to Sam, following his line of sight to Callen’s shivering form.

“He’s my partner,” Sam said with a shrug as if that would explain everything… and to a fellow SEAL, it did.

“They worked him over quite harshly, but he’s holding his ground. His abdomen is tender, but it seems to be more from the bruises themselves than from an internal bleeding. Despite what you said before this mission, he’s actually mostly reasonable and I get the feeling that he’s pretty good at judging his own physical state,” the medic said calmly.

Sam gave the man a small smile, “for some reason, I think him being reasonable about accepting treatment has more to do with you than anything else. In all the years we’ve worked together, I’ve never seen him react to any medical personnel like he does to you. Usually he fights them tooth and nail. The last few times anyone got an IV into him was only because he was unconscious when it was done.”

Taggert laughed softly.”I’m not surprised, but as I said, I think he is pretty good at judging what he needs.”

“He’s a stubborn mule, that’s what he is. Went on a mission after being poisoned with cyanide once,” Sam scoffed with a shake of his head.

Taggert arched an eyebrow for a moment before glancing back at Callen in contemplation, “was he able to handle it?”

“Have never seen him unable to handle anything,” Sam gave back.

The medic smiled and shrugged his shoulders, “as I said, good judge of his own capabilities and physical state. You should trust him to know his limits.”

“I’ve never seen him reach his limits. That makes it kind of hard to know that he will admit to having them when it’s necessary.”

“And yet, he did today… several times,” Taggert pointed out gently, “he was the one who decided to agree to the painkillers when he reached his limit in battling the pain. He attracted your attention when the nausea was becoming a problem and again, he asked Kensi and Deeks to fetch me when he developed a fever.” Both men sat in silence for a few moments, each following their own contemplation. “Trust in your partner, Sam. He knows his limits.” With that, the man squeezed Sam’s shoulder and stood, leaving Sam to ponder his words.

It wasn’t that he didn’t trust his partner. In all the years, he’d always had Sam’s back, never giving him reason to feel unsafe. It was rather that he hated to see his friend suffer needlessly, and didn’t trust him to understand he didn’t _have_ to suffer.

Xxxxxxx

He blearily opened his one good eye to take in the scene around him. Not much had changed compared to the last time. The number of sleeping bodies on the ground was approximately the same even if the individuals sleeping were different compared to the last time he had been awake. The sun stood high in the sky and the light was harsh after days of being underground. Callen carefully didn’t move, knowing that was a sure way to make the pain flare again.

Focusing his attention inwards, he considered his current state. As long as he didn’t move, the pain was alright. It was there, but more background noise than anything else. His head felt clearer, his thoughts not as muddled and he didn’t feel feverish any longer. Several other things were nagging at him though, most prominently hunger and thirst. Still, for the moment, he valued his relative pain free state higher than anything else. He would give himself a few more minutes before moving and seeing about feeding himself.

Just when he scraped up the courage to begin moving, he felt the vibrations of footsteps drawing closer. Callen blinked his eye back open and shifted his head slightly to watch Luc approaching. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam resting a few feet behind him, a silent guard. He was glad for his friend’s close proximity, despite being among people who meant him no harm. Glancing around briefly, he spied Kensi and Deeks curled up together on his right. Shifting his focus back to the medic, he gave him a small smile when Luc crouched down in front of him.

With a brief glance at Sam behind his patient, the medic kept his voice quiet. “How do you feel?”

“Pretty ok,” Callen murmured back, “less muddled. Think the fever is down. Ignoring the pain. Hungry and thirsty though. And I could use a trip to the restroom to freshen up.”

Luc smirked, “showers are out of commission right now, but the rest of the facilities are over there by that tree.”

Callen followed his pointed glance and gauged the distance. Not something he would try on his own right now. He stretched out his left hand to the medic who took it and reached his other hand behind his neck, drawing him in a sitting position and holding on until Callen stopped swaying. Pain flared but it was dull. “Those painkillers are pretty good,” Callen murmured.

Luc shrugged, “glad they do what they should for you. Give yourself another second, then we’ll get you up. No weight on your left foot though. Shall I wake Sam to help?” He started unhooking the IV line, probably not wanting to drag the IV bag along with them.

Callen glanced over to his sleeping friend, somewhat surprised to find he hadn’t woken yet. That probably meant that Sam hadn’t gotten much sleep those last few days as well. “No, let him sleep.” He waited for Luc to shift to his left side and then put his arm around the other man’s shoulder to hang on to him while the medic stood. Callen sucked in a breath when his ribs complained, but otherwise kept silent. Still… it hurt. Hobbling around with Luc as his support, he felt himself tiring quickly. After relieving himself, Luc returned him to his previous perch and helped him sit down. “I’ll see about something to drink and some food for you,” the medic said and then moved away to do just that.

Using the vantage point of sitting instead of lying down, and the fact that he was more clear-headed than before, Callen let his gaze wander around the makeshift camp. There was no urgency in any of the SEAL team members awake, a testament to the area around them being secure enough. When he glanced over to where Kensi and Deeks lay, he found that the Detective had woken and was watching him. Callen gave him a smile and a careful nod; Deeks returned both and relaxed, lying back down behind Kensi.

When Luc sat down beside him, Callen glanced at the medic and took the offered water canteen. “You good, Callen?” the other man asked while he picked up the IV equipment again and reattached it to the shunt in Callen’s arm.

He gave a slow nod, “I’m fine,” he sighed and then took a sip of water, before trying again, “no, I’m exhausted,” he admitted, “the fever will probably be back in a few hours, won’t it?”

Luc shrugged, “might just, yeah. I’d like to check the cut again once you’ve eaten a little bit.”

Callen took another sip of water before he grinned lazily, “if you wanted to feel me up again, all you had to do was ask.” The words were out before he could reign them back in, but he had the feeling that the medic wouldn’t take offense - and if he did, he could blame it on the meds or his muddled state.

Luc glanced at him, his head tilted to the side. Their eyes met briefly, silent communication passing in just that gaze and Taggert gave him a smile and a wink, “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He actually hadn’t expected that, hadn’t exactly gotten any vibes from the medic, but admittedly, he hadn’t looked before and the situation hadn’t exactly allowed for it. Still, he wouldn’t have made the comment if he didn’t feel comfortable with the man. Callen returned the smile. “You do that.” He doubted anything would come out of it, but he wouldn’t mind if it did.

Xxxxxxx

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the chopper touched down inside of the military base. Callen hobbled outside with Sam by his side, supporting his weight. He wondered how he could finagle getting out of the trip to the med tent. When both Sam and Luc turned him into the direction of the waiting base medics, he sighed. There went that option.

Both Sam and Luc glanced at him and then shared a smirk over his head.

“No getting out of that one,” Luc laughed.

“You could look the other way and pretend you didn’t see me slip away,” Callen suggested with a small grin.

Sam shook his head, “no way. I’ll tie you to the bed myself if I have to while the docs check you over.”

“Luc already checked me over. Does that count for nothing?”

“No offense, Taggert, but no, it doesn’t,” Sam grunted.

He could see the smirk on the medic’s features and Callen sighed again, “see what I have to put up with?” he asked with his head tilted towards his partner.

Xxxxxxx

It had been three days since he had been flown out of the Middle East. Three days since he’d been placed in a hospital in L.A. Callen was bored and contemplating how to stage his escape if Sam didn’t come soon to break him out of here.

His wounds had been taken care of, bones had been reset and splinted. The fever he’d developed during the rescue mission had abated the day after coming back to L.A. The swelling around his eye was going down and all in all Callen was going stir crazy.

He glanced up when Sam appeared in the doorway with a wheelchair and rolled his eyes. He knew arguing about that would only keep him here for longer so he simply stepped away from the bed and sat down in the wheelchair once Sam parked it beside him.

“Paperwork is all taken care off. We’re good to go,” Callen told him.

Xxxxxxx

He barely glanced up at his desk phone when it started ringing. Signing the report in front of him, Callen blindly reached for the phone. “Callen.”

There was a brief pause on the other end, making him look up with a frown. “Uhm, hi… it’s Luc Taggert.” Another brief pause allowed his mind to start working on the connections, “when we were on a mission in a country we had no business being in a few months ago, you said to look you up when I returned stateside.”

A lazy smile appeared on his features while he leaned back in the chair. “Planning on making a house call?”

There was a short laugh on the other end of the line. “I think I could be persuaded.”

Callen grinned, “very well. What are you doing tonight?”


End file.
